Havre's beginnings as a transportation hub were forged by the railroad, which brought supplies to trappers, miners and the military at nearby Fort Assinniboine. The town was named by railroad officials after the French city Le Havre, but its citizens gave it a different pronunciation: HAV-er.

Guided tours of Fort Assinniboine, 8 miles southwest off US 87, are offered for a fee daily (weather permitting), June 1-Labor Day. High Line Heritage Resources Walking Tours offers 1-hour tours of the downtown area departing from 124 Third St. A separate hour-long walking tour leaving from the corner of Third Avenue and Main Street explores a 36-block residential historic district. High Line's tours are available by appointment Memorial Day weekend through the last weekend in December (weather permitting); phone (406) 399-5225.

Area geography can best be described as dichotomous. Here, rolling plains meet the Bear Paw Mountains, providing unlimited summer and winter recreation opportunities. Beaver Creek Park, a 17-mile-long, 1-mile-wide strip park 11 miles south on CR 234, encases Beaver Creek and two lakes and offers a variety of activities including camping, fishing, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.